Us, United.

The purpose of this blog is to inform our readers about what we are doing here in our online classroom. You will read about the following items:

1. Lessons Covered

2. Student Spotlight

3. Unification of the West Campus

To what has been a roller coaster of a year, from the pandemic to the election, to our students coming back to online-learning and getting their hopes up of a possible return to school, it is no surprise that one of the only consistent environments that our students have comes from a little 10-inch Chromebook at home. If life is a roller coaster, then the Chromebook is a little, worn down seatbelt clip that is keeping them on the seat and away from falling out as the cart takes them on all kinds of twists and turns. And even then, the occasional broken screen or loss of a charger is not far away from them.

Yet, the students that we have taken under our guidance and care keep chipping away at the world. Here is what they did.

Lessons Covered: I Am / Yo Soy

If you recall last month’s blog, our students made an Identity mask. You can find that blog here. We are picking up right where we left off. With this assignment, we wanted our students to take a deeper look at what they think about themselves. We wanted them to be self-centered and look inwards of who they are. That is why we did an “I Am / Yo Soy” writing assignment.

1. How are our identities formed?

2. How do our choices and relationships influence our identity?

3. Which parts of our identities do we share with others, and which do we conceal?

Our students are great at pointing out flaws that they may have. Also, our students have great energy in calling out the best in others or critiquing what others are doing. However, that same energy isn’t always aimed at the most important person: themselves.

The goal that we had with this lesson was for our students to be able to express to others that it takes a lot of self-awareness to identify what exactly they are expressing, thinking, and caring about themselves.

In other words, we wanted our students to realize that if they put some thought into how they see themselves, they might be able to see if it’s a closed-off/negative mindset or a growth/positive mindset. I’ll spare you the details but our students revised, peer-edited, and performed these poems with other students.

What came of these pieces of writing was something beautiful. Take a look for yourselves.

Student Spotlight:

Michelle and Chris were tasked to find students in their respective classes who have displayed great SEL skills in the online classroom.

Michelle nominated Daniel-Luna Brown:

Daniel has shown a lot of participation and has helped me with our fellow students with his positive vibes he brings to the class for the pasts weeks. Daniel has gotten his assignments done on time. Through the work with discussing in class and assignments to get done he has put in effort and expanding on his answers whether that be talking and explaining more or typing in more detail in his assignments. He definitely uplifts the class and I even when he’s not so in the mood himself. He displays great community skills, as he is excelling in his Relationship skills with all of the class.

Chris & Myself nominated: Torrey Jones:

When I think of Torrey, I think of his great self-awareness and his emerging self-management skills. Torrey is one of those kids, who for all of his efforts to be in the background, still manages to make the day rememberable. We are applauding him for his improvement on his responsible-making decisions.

Torrey, way to go, bud. Keep pushing, son.

The Unification of the West Campus:

On November 19th, the DPS Board of Education voted unanimously to unite both schools within the building: West Leadership & West Early College will be united, once more.

West Leadership Academy is home to many 1st generations of children who grew up with the US being their second home. It is home to students for whom English is their second language. It is home to students who are looking for a second chance at an education that perhaps would otherwise not be available to them elsewhere.

In other words, it is an opportunity for improving the upward mobility of our students and their families. It is in this old, rickety building that the staff takes on the challenge of empowering our students, one day at a time. It is inside this building that wonderful things happen.

The West campus has a history in Denver. Not all of it has been great, however not all of it has been detrimental either. It is a place that has endured generations of institutional racism, from both the city & state governments and district institutions. It is a place that has brought forth students who have gone on and achieved great success. We do not always hear of these students.

Rather, there are times when we hear everything that our community does that is detrimental to the progress of our families and students. We hear of all the faults that our students have that may at times be limited in their lives. I am very aware of such events, as I and countless others on both sides of the building are on the front lines with our students. We hear everything. We offer support. We guide. We teach. We support them. In some ways, I share those same frustrations as well.

Nevertheless, we do not need a reminder of everything it isn’t. Rather, we need to remind ourselves of the opportunity that has once again presented itself for us to be whole and for us to be able to capitalize on being united, once more. Together, we can accomplish new wonders. Together, we can rebuild. Together, we can move forward.

Speaking as alumni of the original West High School, I have a very biased opinion of what this community and building mean to myself. In other words, my opinion doesn’t hold too much value since I was a product of a school that was considered to be one of the worst-performing in the state. I was an 11th grader when the decision was made to split the building into different schools. My senior year was full of middle school students who came into the building and started their own journey here. As I was graduating, they were starting their own journey here. Nevertheless, no matter how far I went around the world, or as I drove past Speer Blvd, I would always remind myself that this is home. It’s a home to my fond memories of my friends, my first football game, my favorite teachers, and all the other things my classmates and I saw in 4 years.

This building, for all that it has endured and all that it has produced, for all that is has lacked or given too much of, remains in the heart of many families around the Westside. This building, however old it may be, remains strong on the inside.

Thank you for staying with us for what turned out to be one of the most eventful years of our lifetime. May this year-end with all of you celebrating the privilege you have of being with friends and family from 6ft away. Or better yet, from a facetime call instead.

We are resilient. We are strong. We can rebuild. We can do better. We will. We have to.

We are West.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year! May all of you show yourselves grace and find peace, wherever you may be.

Happy Reading, y’all.

Cowboys, Out.